Get to know Kon Knueppel
Kon Knueppel sits down with Andy Katz to discuss this year's NBA Draft and what he brings to the table.
Overview
The Knueppel family is full of hoopers as Kon’s mother, father and uncle played in college while his uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, had a brief NBA career with the Bucks before playing professionally overseas. Kon was named 2024 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball after leading his high school team, Wisconsin Lutheran, to the Division 2 State Championship. Along with Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach, Knueppel spent only one season at Duke, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. Knueppel posted 48/41/91 shooting splits in his lone collegiate campaign on 9.7 field goal attempts, 5.3 3-point tries and 3.3 free throw trips per game.
Analysis
Knueppel was an all-around player at Duke, but his 3-point shot was his calling card. He profiles as a sharpshooter at the NBA level who can immediately contribute, while the 19-year-old’s playmaking and defense will take some time to develop. Despite a 6-foot-7, 217-pound frame, Knueppel struggled to finish around the rim at an elite level in college, but he plays off two feet, has great patience in the post/paint and gets to his spot more often than not. He’s not the quickest or strongest, but he has good defensive instincts and shows the ability to be a solid defender within a structured system.
Quotable
“It’s fun coaching a guy where it’s not about the scoring. He’s pissed … if he didn’t get a rebound, if he missed somebody on a pass. He understands what other people could consider small things to the game. He understands the value of all those plays.” — Duke coach Jon Scheyer
Some stats & tidbits
Knueppel shot an ACC-leading 91.4% from the free throw line in 2024-25, the second-highest mark for a freshman in Duke history … 2025 ACC Tournament MVP … 2024-25 All-ACC Second Team selection … 2024-25 ACC All-Rookie Team choice … Mother, Chari, is the all-time leading scorer in Wisconsin-Green Bay history with 1,964 points … Father, also named Kon, surpassed 2,000 points at Wisconsin Lutheran College and is in the school’s Hall of Fame … Nephew of Jeff Nordgaard, who was the 53rd pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and appeared in 13 games with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1997-98 season … Likes to watch NBA players Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler to pick up tips for his game
Projection
Knueppel’s combination of size and shooting is reminiscent of Gradey Dick, Doug McDermott, Corey Kispert and Sam Hauser. It’s safe to say Knueppel, who has a higher upside than the aforementioned sharpshooters due to his playmaking ability, will be taken early in the 2025 Draft, especially given the importance of 3-point shooting in today’s NBA. However, Knueppel will likely need an ideal organizational fit to reach his full potential.
— Profile by RotoWire.com